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Question:
Why decay on 10 year old bridge? I have a 5-tooth bridge that is supported by a front tooth on one end and two molars in back.
My dentist discovered that the last supporting tooth has decay and the whole bridge will need to be replaced.
The bridge is 10 years old. I have always taken care to brush and floss regularly and I wonder why there is decay. Is this an unusual situation? ...Visitor from MA
Answer:
It is hard to say why your bridge has decayed in the back as I have not followed your dental condition over the past 10 years.
However I can say that it was probably hard to clean between those back two teeth over the past 10 years which may have contributed to the decay. Have you consistently used a floss "threader" every day to clean between the back bridge units?
Also, using a fluoride rinse every night is a great way to remineralize enamel each day reducing the chance of decay of all your teeth.
Is it possible for your dentist to cut off this back tooth from your bridge and extract the bad tooth, thus leaving the "4 unit" bridge intact? Your dentist is the only one who can answer this question. He may feel that a single front tooth and a single back molar may not be strong enough to hold up for the long term.
You may also ask your dentist about the option of replacing the missing teeth with a few dental implants and single crowns. This way you could have a strong bite without bridging any teeth together.
TotalConfidenceDentistry.com
Ron Briglia, DMD
Chester County Medical Building
600 East Marshall Street, Suite 201
West Chester PA 19380
(610) 692-4440
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